John Kass of the Chicago Tribune says that Rahm is in deep trouble with no sign of a life saver. And Kass says he predicted that this would happen if the Laquan McDonald video was suppressed, as it was, until after the election.
Kass writes:
A month ago I wrote a column telling you about a police dash-cam recording that could tear Chicago apart.
It was that recording of a white cop killing a black teenager, the cop pumping 16 bullets into the kid with the knife in his hand who was trying to walk away, the officer firing most of the shots with the young man already on the ground.
The video that might rip Chicago apart — and why you need to see it
It was kept from public view for months and months, kept hidden until Mayor Rahm Emanuel won re-election with black voter support. But it couldn’t be suppressed forever.
Since the video was released, protesters have taken to the streets, demanding “Rahm Resign” and the mayor became publicly weepy, telling us once again that he wanted to be a Rahm reborn, a better version of himself.
Who knows? Maybe he was hoping to put on that warm and fuzzy campaign sweater — the one he wore when he cut those re-election commercials to announce he’d be a kinder, more reasonable, and less imperious Rahm.
But you can’t play the sweater game twice. And the city can’t forget what he’s done.
So a month later, where is Chicago?
The mayor limps along, weakened, his public approval ratings underwater. New polls say what I’ve told you for weeks: That if the Laquan McDonald video had been made public before Election Day, Rahm would not be mayor today.
If police shooting video had been released sooner, would Emanuel be mayor?
That makes people feel as if he’s cheated them. So resentment builds against the mayor most of Chicago never really liked, but feared. And now that he’s been humbled, he’s ripe.
According to Kass, conventional wisdom says Rahm won’t resign. But he predicts that the months and perhaps the rest of his second term will be torture. As they said about Watergate, the coverup is what gets you.
All it would take is one phone call from Obama, who was a close politically to him as you can get. Former chief of staff for the White House. But Obama won’t make that call.
Rahm will be fine. He was just re-elected a few months ago and is not up again until 2019. There’s no recall provision in Chicago. It’s possible the feds could indict him, but most likely not – looks more like they’re in town to protect him and “rebuild trust”. It’s even more remotely possible that Hillary could pressure him, but that would take a powerful combination of political winds blowing in just the right ways. Otherwise, there’s no mechanism for his removal. He won’t step down voluntarily. He’s like those “Christian” persecutionists who believe that the more people are against them, the more they must be doing right – he’s Chicago’s own “liberal” (cough, cough) version of Kim Davis.
And I have no hope for 2019 or Chicago’s memory – this will all be a distant haze by then. One of the first things Rahm did upon coming to office in 2011 was to close mental health facilities in mostly black neighborhoods. Then he closed libraries or drastically reduced their hours. And we all know about how he closed 50 schools in 2013, again mostly in black neighborhoods. Yet by 2015 those same black neighborhoods voted pretty strongly to re-elect him. *Shrug* Whatcha gonna do?
Let’s bet. I predict that Rahm will *not* be fine. The video is not just another video; it’s not something anybody can forget.
On the side: why do policemen seem to always shoot to kill? Don’t they learn how to shoot just to wound, say, on the leg?
I’ll take a piece of that action. By what mechanism do you think Rahm will be removed? Or do you think he will reach a point at which he’ll voluntarily step down? How long do you think it will take to get Rahm out?
As far as shooting to kill, I’ve wondered that myself, but from what I’ve heard from cops the idea is that if a “suspect” is dangerous enough to shoot, they’re dangerous enough to kill. Wounding a suspect does not protect the officer’s life, which is the point of shooting the “suspect” – it could just enrage him and make him more dangerous. I don’t really buy the explanation, but that’s what the police say.
In this case, the kid was walking away with only a knife in his hand. Shoot him in the butt or thigh, and he stops. Then you walk up to him, and if you are not properly trained to take away the knife, you use a taser.
Is it possible that the problem is police training: it’s too practical, too short. They do not take enough time on teaching psychology (to learn how criminals think), and not enough time to learn finer techniques of combat other than shooting.
In other words, maybe police training is similar to TFA-style teachers’ training, and the reason could be similar: the difficulty and complexity of the police profession is way undervalued.
Here is a quote
“The length of time required to complete academy training averaged 19 weeks as of 2006, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The Memphis Police Department Academy usually takes 21 weeks to complete, while San Diego’s program lasts six months.”
This is from
http://work.chron.com/long-train-cop-21366.html
Reading this, I can only hope that the training in the US Marines is more thorough…
By the way, in case it’s in doubt, I’m not saying Rahm should stay – I was opposed to him coming in the first place. I’m just saying he *will* stay.
Rahm will simply resign. As did Rhee, Duncan, Huffman, Barbic, and as will Moscowitz.
The supporters of these people don’t like controversy, and for them, these people (puppets) are completely replaceable.
Hillary Clinton continues to support Rahm (one of her leading fundraisers.) Bernie supporters need to get the word out in the streets as to what a Clinton presidency will do TO them: more police violence, more coverups, more dismantling of public schools (and now, even libraries), from coast to coast. Don’t count on the HRC-bought for alderman/precinct committeepersons/ward captains to enlighten their constituents on the truth about Rahm.
Ed reform political machinations follow a predictable pattern- there’s the “controversial (but bold!) change agent” and then once that person has secured everything ed reformers want, the “collaborative- can’t we all just get along?” ed reformer comes next.
If Clinton is elected she will be the “collaborative” manager who softens Obama’s anti-public school, pro-privatization stance.
Like all things in ed reform, the idea comes from private sector management The first manager rams thru the agenda and then they bring in the kindler-gentler second to tell employees it’s time to “put aside differences” and “work together”.
Clinton will be that second as far as public schools. If she’s elected, which I don’t think is at all a sure thing.
Eleanor,
Right on.
Chiara, you are absolutely correct. The “Rheephomers” invade, close our schools and crush our spirits, and then feign hurt at why we “can’t just get along.” We are referred to as “human capital” and they want schools “modeled after a traditional venture capital fund.” The billionaire class also is busy “re-thinking and re-designing the role of the teacher.”
(With thanks to the person who yesterday posted this link about the billionaire take over the DC school system: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/47754/shadow-chancellor-katherine-bradleys-influence-dc-education-reform/)
Who gave the billionaire class the authority to decide how public education operates? Craven politicians from President Obama, Hillary Clinton, Cuomo, Emmanual on down are too busy cozying up to the billionaires for their own self-advancement. (Almost treasonous, in a sense … but I don’t want to go down the tin-foil hat path.)
Growing up in the ’60s, I would never have imagined a war like on American public education. Too many billionaire “philanthropists” who don’t pay enough taxes are attempting to control public education and public libraries as well. They want to cement their position for subsequent generations, and only an uninformed and submissive populace will allow that to happen.
Please read the story at the above link – it’s well-researched, and well worth reading, which means it will never see the light of day on the MSM.
“Little Dumber Boy”
Release they told me
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
A dash cam vid to see
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
But we just covered up
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
And I am not a crook
Pa Rahm pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum
Windy City
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
I didn’t keep the lid
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
Upon the dash cam vid
Pa Rahm pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum,
Rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you?
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
Pa Rahm pum pum
Pum pum pum pum
Chi Town nodded
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
The Sox and Bears kept time
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
I played my dumb for them
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
I played my best for them
Pa Rahm pum pum pum
On my drum…
This one’s the best …still laughing!
Great poem! Very Clever!
love – as always – brilliant !
Chicago is really suffering and he seems to be part of the problem. Do want the citizens of this great city to be at peace.
Garrison Keillor has a great talk on public libraries – given to librarians at their conference.- please look it up – you will love it. Now, which is the greater sin – closing a public school or a public library ? Both are awful and shameful.